Returning the Favour
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Peeta was always there when Katniss needed him. Now it's her turn to help him forget. Everlark. OneShot.


_I absolutely am in love with this couple, I mean, I loved them before, but I love them even more now! I also have another one up, if you want to check that out as well. I'm also thinking about posting a multi-chapter fic, let me know what you think._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. Or else I would be in a Peeta and Gale sandwich. Possibly with an side of Finnick :P I do, however, own a a lot of alcohol. _

"Smile—Katniss!"

"Peeta! Katniss!"

"Can we get a look this way, please?!"

The cameras were everywhere, invading their personal space. Peeta Marlark and Katniss Everdeen were struggling to carry on walking, while Effie Trinket managed to trot in front of them in those sky high heels as easy as can be. Every now and then she would shoot them a look over her shoulder, eyes narrowed when she caught the fake smile slipping from Katniss's face. Peeta was a natural, his arm wrapped protectively around Katniss and smiling with honest eyes at the paparazzi.

"Okay, okay, you'll see them all again tomorrow night at the feast!" Effie's high pitched voice carried over Peeta and Katniss's head as she ushered them into the hotel that had been hired out for them privately. Katniss's body was as stiff as a board as the heavy doors slammed shut behind them and Peeta dropped his arm from her waist. "Alright, my pretties, you have a big day tomorrow—we're on our way to District Two! Make sure you get your beauty's rest," she paused next to Katniss and gave her a slightly condescending smile, patting her on the cheek. "And you, my dear, need to practice your smile in front of the mirror just a bit more." Katniss's nose screwed up slightly in annoyance which Effie effectively ignored. The hallway emptied quickly until Katniss was the only one left, and she made her way to her room. It was night, and the lights in the cities of District Three shone bright outside her window. She pushed a strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear as she stared out the window. They had been out for dinner with District Three's government, and it was now nearly eleven-thirty. Katniss's eyes were getting heavy and she pulled off the heavy dress she had worn that night, peeling the tight material away from her skin.

They were five days away from the 75th Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell. Effie was now laughing and talking outside in the hall as Katniss readied herself for bed, probably to a less than interested Haymitch Abernathy. She wasn't sure where Peeta had disappeared after the doors had closed and separated them from the world and the lives that the two victors were forced to play out for them. As much as Katniss resented admitting it, she relied heavily on Peeta when it came to their public façade and, well, everything else. They all looked at her as though she was the strong one, the impenetrable one, 'the girl on fire'. But she was only that way because of Peeta. Especially in these past few weeks, she hadn't been feeling strong at all. The nightmares were coming back more and more vividly, to the point where she woke some nights and thought she could reach out and touch the small flowers she had covered little Rue's body with.

Peeta had come into her room one night after he had heard her thrashing around and had held her. Katniss had shivered and cried until she had fallen asleep in his arms. He had taken to sleeping in her room every night since then—usually across the couch in the corner of her room, although occasionally he had fallen asleep on top of the bed covers. Katniss wasn't sure if Effie or Haymitch knew of the revised sleeping arrangements, but if they did, they didn't say anything.

It was almost one in the morning, and Peeta still hadn't come to her room. Katniss was cursing herself for feeling so pathetic and needy. She had been tossing and turning for a good hour now, and her bed was an absolute tangled mess. She finally rolled out of bed, glancing out the window for a moment, an inner battle waging inside of her. Part of her wanted to force herself back into bed and to go to sleep. But the other half knew that that was not going to happen. She pulled on an oversized jersey over her singlet that swamped her, almost completely covering her tiny sleeping shorts as well. She retied her hair in a ponytail, trying to look a little more presentable in case she met someone in the hallway. She made her way down the dark, empty hall until she to Peeta's door. It was shut, and there was a faint glow coming from the crack beneath. Katniss licked her lips, feeling slightly nervous as she knocked on the door. She heard movement on the other side and a moment later, Peeta's handsome face was there in front of her.

"Katniss," his voice was soft, his eyes cast downward. Katniss attempted a smile, but he had always been able to see through her bullshit, so she dropped the smile out of respect. Peeta stepped aside to let her in, shutting the door behind her. Katniss's nose twitched as it picked up a scent she had never associated with Peeta before.

Alcohol.

She looked over to Peeta, who was now standing in front of the floor length windows. The soft golden glow in the room was coming from the lamp in the corner of the room, and it made everything seem less harsh. Katniss wasn't sure what she was meant to do as she watched Peeta's muscular figure sway slightly. She shifted so that she was facing his prolife. He was wearing a thin shirt that was so light she could see his defined arms and stomach through it. His breathing was shallow and his eyes half-closed.

"I, uh, wondered where you were when you didn't come to my room," Katniss murmured. Peeta closed his eyes momentarily and she saw a pained expression cross his face.

"I'm sorry, I just…I couldn't," Peeta's voice was barely audible. Katniss felt confusion cloud over her and she chewed down on her lower lip. She wasn't sure what he meant by that statement—that he couldn't be with her? He couldn't deal with her nightmares anymore? That he couldn't handle her pain? She would not hold it against him if that was true, he had been such a rock; she was going to be forever in his debt. She took a step away from him, disappointed but knowing she had already asked for much more than she deserved.

"I get it," she mumbled, taking another step away.

"Kat," Peeta turned to her, a frown on his ace. His eyes were glowing and Katniss couldn't decide whether it was from alcohol or from tears. Maybe from both. "Don't go." He sounded broken and she knew that there was no way she could leave him. She stopped, staring back at him. "I just…Couldn't let you see me like this," he finally clarified.

"Why?" Katniss didn't understand. They had seen each other both at their best and worst—Peeta was the only one she trusted to know what she was going through, who's words wouldn't be empty when comforting her. It hurt and confused her that Peeta didn't view her the same way. "Why do you think you can't be around like this?" That anger and fire that everyone related to her began to lick away at the pit of her stomach. "You see me weak and pathetic almost every night and yet you can't even be _upset _around me?" Peeta could see the change in her eyes and hear it in her tone instantly and his face hardened ever so slightly. "Shit, Peeta, do you have that little faith in me that I will change my opinion of you because you let your guard down around you?!"

"Hey! Don't talk to me like that!" Katniss flinched. It was the first time Peeta had ever raised his voice at her. He sucked in his lower lip and dropped his eyes away from her, obviously feeling bad for yelling instantly. It wasn't in his nature to be harsh, especially toward Katniss. "Look, I'm always there for you, I'm always strong for you." When he looked up at her, she saw the hurt in his eyes, the fear. "But I'm scared. I'm…" his voice cracked slightly and he looked away from her again. "Fuck, I'm so scared…" he shoved his hands deep in the pockets of the loose pyjama pants he was wearing.

"Peeta…" Katniss barely recognized her own voice, it was so soft it was almost inaudible.

"No, I don't…I don't want your sympathy, Kat," Peeta took in a deep breath and turned around so that he was fully facing her. "I want to be strong for you, I want you to know that I can do that for you…I don't want to be weak." Katniss shook her head slightly.

"How could I ever think that of you?" Her voice was filled with disbelief. "You're the strongest person I know, Peeta." He met her eyes and she could see the doubt in his hazel orbs. She took a hesitant step closer to him, not sure where she was going with her speech. "You're quiet, you're in the background, but the second I can't handle it anymore, you're there. You act like it was the plan all along to take my hand in front of everyone and save face." She took another step closer, only inches away from him. "I trust you more than anyone else in the world," she murmured, taking in a shaky breath as she looked up at him. Everything that she was telling him was things that she already knew, and he probably knew as well, but definitely not things that she had ever told him. And yet there he was, flinching away from her, trying to hide his face.

There were a couple of times that Katniss had seen Peeta with tears in his eyes—when they had first been chosen for the 74th games. His eyes were red as they drove in the car with Effie to the train. The other time had been when he had been hurt and she was looking after him. Both times his eyes had shone bright and she had heard a couple of tell tale sniffs but she had never actually seen him cry. Despite the fact that she had been with him through the nights—she had been there through the twisting and turning and angry grunts—but she had never seen the tears actually spill out of those gorgeous eyes and streak down his cheeks. Honestly, for a moment, she was relieved. It had been her, curled up in Peeta's arms for so long, she wondered if maybe in the back of his mind he thought that she was weak. But there he was, eyes a combination of anger and fear, staring at her with a defiant expression.

"Why do you feel you can't be around me like this?" The relief disappeared from her voice and hurt appeared as she repeated her earlier question. "Why would you feel like you can't show me when you're scared or worried?" She knew her voice was rising but she didn't care—everyone knew of her legendary temper. "So, what? Instead of turning to _me_, you're going to get drunk and turn into Haymitch? For fuck's sakes, Peeta—"

"God, Katniss, don't you ever just stop?!" Peeta blurted out and Katniss froze, her mouth still open slightly. Peeta let out a low growl from the back of his throat and spun around again so that he was facing away from her and out the window. He ran a hand through his short hair and Katniss finally shut her mouth and licked her lower lip nervously. She wondered what she was meant to say—she had never been particularly good in delicate situations. "I just…" Peeta's voice was barely audible and Katniss had to take a step toward him to be able to hear. "I just need something to forget…" his voice caught and she realized that beside his hand on the window sill was a tumbler containing amber liquid.

"So you got drunk instead of coming to me?"

"You have enough to deal with, without me adding to your problems," Peeta gave a one shouldered shrug, eyes still trained out the window, and he didn't see how her eyes darkened as she closed the distance between them, her chest pressing against his back.

"I will _always _have time for you, Peeta," her voice was low and Peeta felt his body reacting to her breasts against his back. She reached up on her toes so that her mouth was close to his ear. "And I will always be a better alternative to alcohol for you to forget." The suggestion hung heavily in the air and Peeta frowned, whipping around to face Katniss. His eyes searched hers, looking for confirmation to see if she had meant what he thought she had meant. When she pursed her lips and looked up at him with dark eyes, he realized she had meant to give off that impression. He began to shake his head, stepping away from her.

"No, this isn't how this is going to happen," he muttered and Katniss's eyebrows flew upward.

"Last time I checked, we are in the middle of a countdown—actually, nearing the end," Katniss swallowed hard as she said the words. "In a week or so…" she took in a shaky breath before forcing herself to continue. "We don't know what's going to happen or where we're going be. I…I need this just as much as you do, Peeta." She knew if she turned the conversation around to her needs, she could convince him. Whatever she wanted—whatever she needed—he gave it to her. And she saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes at her words, exactly what she was aiming for. She took a step closer to him, once again sharing his body head, and stared up at him. "I want this, Peeta…I want you—"

The words had barely left her mouth when his lips came down on hers. His hands fisted the material of her dress at hers sides, fingers digging lightly into her skin. Katniss's tongue flicked over his lower lip, once, twice, before he opened his mouth and his own tongue fought back against her, surprising her with his battle for dominance. His fingers dug deeper into her sides and he pulled at the material of her dress, until it was bunched at her waist and his hands were burning against her skin. Katniss gasped into his mouth and Peeta couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at the way she was reacting to his touches. He dipped his fingers under the band of her panties, feeling the smooth skin of her ass and cupping the perfect globes in his hands, holding her firmly against him. Katniss felt her body become practically glued to Peeta's as his strong arms held her in place, and she felt his arousal pressing against her now bare legs. As their tongues continued to explore each others mouths, Katniss rolled her hips against his, eliciting a moan from deep in Peeta's throat. She did it again, harder this time. Peeta pulled away from her, biting down hard on his lower lip as he tried not to let out another loud moan. Katniss felt the burn in her lower abdomen growing as she saw his expression changing in response to her actions.

"Peeta," she whispered, her voice husky. His eyes opened and met hers, just as dark with lust as his. He pushed her backwards toward the massive bed in the corner of the room, and she stumbled back, her legs buckling as they met the bed and they tumbled down onto the mattress. Peeta rolled their bodies over until Katniss was laying over him, her knees on either side of him as she straddled him and grinded her hips downward. The friction made both of them moan and sigh. Peeta continued to pull at her dress, inching it over her breasts before she got frustrated and broke their lips apart and ripped the offending garment over her head. Her own nimble fingers had been working at his shirt, which was now hanging open and exposing his toned chest to her. He saw the way her eyes flashed as they took in his pants and it made him even harder underneath her. She licked her lips as she ran her hands over his torso, making her way up to his face, cupping his cheek and staring down intently. Something in the air clamed as they stared at each other for a long moment. Katniss slowly leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, their noses rubbing together, lips brushing softly.

"I'll make you forget, Peeta," she murmured, her breath ghosting over his face. He reached up and touched her face tenderly, the other hand resting on her hip. "Always."

"Always," Peeta affirmed, his eyes filled with love and trust as he pulled her body against his protectively, their tongues tangling together once more.

_Let me know what you think, reviews make me smile and write more :)_

_xx_


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